Broken Dreams and Mending Hearts
by kira66
Summary: Jane didn't know why she was so upset that Maura was dating. So when a job offer comes along she takes it even though it's going to take her away from her friends and family. She just needs a change in scenery and its not like Maura will even notice.
1. Chapter 1

Seeing Maura happy, _this_ happy, was literally making Jane ill. Seriously she had to excuse herself more than once to visit the ladies room. It wasn't that she didn't like Chandra, Ceryl, whatever her name was, she just didn't like the fact she was monopolizing all of Maura's time. Ever since they had become a couple Jane had yet to have a night out with her best friend; that was more than eight months ago. The evening wasn't even half when Jane left; not that Maura would even notice her absence.

It didn't take her long to drive home, change clothes, and curl up on her couch with just Jo for company. "Yeah I miss her too." She gave her faithful companion a pat on the head when she whined. And not for the first time in as many months her eyes were drawn to the rather thick envelope that sat unopened on her coffee table. Chewing on her bottom lip she reached over and picked up the object of her attention. It was a plain yellow envelope addressed to her with an official return address. Before today she hadn't even considered looking at its content but now….now she felt like she needed a change; needed to get away. So without further thought she ripped it open and dumped the content onto her afgan covered lap, dislodging the snoozing Jo in the process, and began to sort through the items. First she read the official letter before setting it aside and moving onto a stapled packet. It was while was reading the particulars that it hit her; she was actually considering doing this. It was a lucrative offer, she knew it would be, and the money was more than she was making now. An apartment, furnished with the option to buy, was included at the end of the packet. And after reading and re-reading the information she made up her mind. She was moving to Pittsburgh!

* * *

Since her decision, a week ago, Jane had talked to Steve a total of eleven times. Steven Maddox was a friend from her Academy days that had actually brought the job offer to her attention; several times actually. She was more than happy to talk to him and welcomed his gradual rekindling of their friendship. By the time she settled in would be as if they hadn't been apart for going on ten years. Blinking she looked down at her hyperactive pup who was currently hopping around her legs. "Excited are we?" She chuckled as she reached down the clipped on Jo's leash. Looking around her almost empty apartment she couldn't help but feel bitter. And deep down, buried in the depths of her soul, she blamed Maura. She hadn't wasted anytime in turning in her resignation or saying her goodbyes; to everyone but Maura that is. Maura was away with _Cheryl _and wouldn't be back until Jane was long settled into her new life in Pennsylvania.

"You ready to go?" Frank _Frankie_ Rizzoli Jr. asked from the doorway. He still couldn't believe his sister was leaving not only Boston but the entire state of Massachusetts! "What about your other stuff?" He motioned to the boxes still scattered around the floor.

"I start work in two days so the movers are just going to send the rest of my stuff later. I have everything that I absolutely need so there really is no hurry." Jane shrugged and nudged the closest box with her foot; the pictures within rattled together. No hurry at all.

Frankie frowned and couldn't help but feel like he was losing his best friend. "Ma still not talking to you?"

Jane snorted. "She's making the silent treatment an art form." She commented dryly as she followed her little brother out into the hall. The door clicked shut behind them and she didn't bother to look back. "I mean she should be thrilled that I'm taking this job!" She blurted once they were out on the street and walking towards the car. "She's been harping at me forever that I need a safer job and then I go and get one and she's all bent out of shape!" She flung her hand up in the air, the one not holding the leash, and growled.

"I think when she envisioned you changing jobs you were still in the same state as her." Frankie said, delicately. "Have you even told Pop?" He changed the subject before his sister could blow up at him.

"Talked to him the other day." Jane grunted. Her parents separation and subsequent divorce was still a touchy subject with her. It _was_ more or less her fault and a lesser extent Frankie's that the Rizzoli's had called it quits. Had two of their three children not been in the hospital fighting for their lives at same time maybe they'd still be together, maybe not insanely happy, but together none the less. It had been the added stress of having their two oldest offspring in critical condition, due to gunshot wounds and following complications, that had finally shattered the thirty-eight year long marriage. She sighed. "He's going to come and visit once I'm all settled in. Even talked about maybe moving somewhere close by." It was slow going but her relationship with her father was mending itself. Before long you'd never know there had been a rift between father and daughter.

Frankie shook his head. Boy was his mother _not_ going to be happy about that, if she ever found out of course. He was so close to achieving his dream of becoming a Detective but it felt hollow since his sister and maybe even his father weren't going to be around to see it. "So how long is it going to take us to get there?" He questioned as he climbed into the drivers side while Jane put Jo in the back and took the passengers side.

Jane buckled her seat belt before answering. "Ten hours probably more seeing as we'll have to make pit stops along the way." She had looked it up the night before just to be sure she'd have enough time to get there before she was suppose to start. Otherwise she would have taken a plane and asked Frankie to bring Jo by car; no way was she trusting the transport of her pet to an Airline that was notorious for losing things.

"You sharing the driving with me?" Frankie asked as he signaled and pulled onto the street.

"Of course I am." Jane gave him a look. "It'd be more like twenty hours if I just let you drive. You drive like Nanna on a Sunday morning." She teased.

Frankie glared at his sister. "I'm gonna tell her you said that." He threatened. If they thought their mother was bad then Nanna Rizzoli was ten times worse.

Jane matched his glare. "You wouldn't dare! Frankie come on you know I didn't mean it. Frankie?" FRANKIE!" She yelled as her brother switched on a classic rock station and turned the volume up. It was going to be a long drive to Pittsburgh,


	2. Chapter 2

Two weeks, ten whole days, that's how long Jane had been the Interrogation Techniques Instructor, ITI for short, at Pittsburgh's Police Academy. And crazily enough she found the job oddly fulfilling but at the same time challenging. "You're full of it Tory." She snorted into her beer as the others around the table chucked.

Victoria _Tory _Chase came from a family of cops so when she grew up her choice of careers hadn't been surprising. It was an injury on the job, three years ago, that pulled her from the streets and into teaching; you didn't need the use of your legs to teach a class on computer crimes. "You're just a sore loser Janie!" She fired back and glared at her fellow colleagues and friends.

"Fine whatever!" Jane motioned for the waitress to bring another round. "Happy Hilter?" She asked grumpily.

"Immensely." Tory deadpanned and thanked the waitress as she sat down her beer of choice. "Must you always be so crabby?" She asked which sent the table into another round of laughter.

"Oh look Tory if looks could kill you'd be dead chica!" Carlos Martinez chuckled from the other end of the table. If he hadn't known better he would have sworn that Jane had been apart of their close knit group for longer than two weeks. He held up his hands in surrender as she turned the look on him. "Easy there killer we're all friends here."

Jane rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her grin. "I never said I was friends with you Carlos did I Alex?" She asked the man seated right next to her in the overly large booth.

Alexander Ayden seemed to mull over the question then shook his head. "Don't believe you did Jane." He was also the quietest of group. "'sides who would want to be friends with the likes of him?"

Carlos threw a peanut at his best friend. "Laugh it up guys just because of that I'm not buying the next round." He threatened with a smirk.

"Like you ever pay anyways." Jane muttered under her breath and exchanged a fist bump with Tory who was seated at the head of the table for obvious reasons.

"Alright, alright, settle it down you boozers!" George Ramses chided from the corner where he was working on his fourth beer compared to everyone else's second. He raised his newest bottle towards Jane. "Here's to our newest member may she be with us for a long time!"

"Til she's old and grey!" Marlo Thompson added her own toast with her glass of Sprite.

"Doesn't have far to go then." Carlos mumbled and received a smack in the back of the head from Marlo. "What was that for?"

Marlo smacked him again for good measure. "You never call a woman old bonehead!"

"I should kick your butt up one side and down the other of Station Square just for that remark Coco." Jane was sure to use the nickname Carlos hated for good measure.

Carlos grumbled and wiggled until he was out of the booth. "I don't gotta sit here and take this kind of abuse! If I wanted that I would have stayed at home and listened to my wife!" With those parting words he stomped out of the bar.

Tory blinked then refocused on the remaining members of their group. "Must be menopause." She smirked when the others burst out laughing once again at poor Carlos' expense.

Jane just sat back and watched the interactions going on around her. Good beer and even better friends what more could she ask for?


End file.
